Weekly Stitch: MMCA Names Kim Sung-hee as New Director.. and more
MMCA Names Kim Sung-hee as New Director
On September 14, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced the appointment of Kim Sung-hee as the next director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). Kim will receive her official appointment on September 15 and begin her new duties on September 18.
Kim has served as executive director and co-founder of CAN Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports emerging artists through residency programs. She has also served as a professor of curatorial studies in the art management department at Hongik University and has worked as a curator, including heading the Incheon Biennale of Women Artists in 2007 and curating a special exhibition at the Gwangju Biennale in 2000.
The position of MMCA director is subject to a three-year term, making it sensitive to shifts in Korea’s political landscape. Kim Sung-hee’s appointment follows the departure of the previous director, Yun Bummo, who left his position at MMCA ahead of schedule in April due to political pressures associated with the changing political climate in Korea.
Kim was selected as the new director over two other final candidates, Kim Chan-dong and Shim Sang-yong, and Park Jong-dal had been serving as the interim acting director of the museum. MMCA operates four major venues in Korea, including two in central Seoul, one in Gwacheon, and a storage facility and collection display venue in Cheongju.
Next Year's Cultural and Arts Budget Will Be in the Range of 2 Trillion KRW
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has announced a budget of 6.979 trillion KRW for 2024. Of this amount, the culture and arts sector are allocated approximately 2.27 trillion KRW, accounting for 32.5% of the total budget. The allocation by sector is 4.681 trillion KRW for cultural policy, 8.494 trillion KRW for art policy, 6.733 trillion KRW for regional cultural policy, and 2.796 trillion KRW for the remaining areas.
The field of visual arts will see strengthened support with a budget of 34.5 billion KRW. The support for young artists who signed contracts with galleries will expand from lasting a single year to spanning three, and the number of artists supported will be doubled to 200 by next year. A new initiative, with a budget of 13 billion KRW, will also be introduced to enable young artists not represented by galleries to promote and sell their artworks. To foster K-Art’s presence in foreign markets, a new project called ‘Korean Art Overseas Showcase’ with a budget of 4.7 billion KRW will be established. The initiative includes direct support for overseas ventures by galleries, auctions, art fairs, and the promotion of promising Korean artists during visits by influential figures from the international art community through ‘Inbound Promotion,’ with a budget of 1.2 billion KRW.
Yu In-chon Nominated to Serve as the Head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Again After 12 Years
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Yu Inchon, has faced criticism from within the ruling party. Some within the ruling party say Yoon’s nomination of Yu is reminiscent of “Season 2 of the Lee Myung-bak (MB) government.” Yu, who served as the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism under Lee Myung-bak, is under investigation for allegedly pressuring the heads of public institutions to resign and for his involvement in blacklisting cultural figures.
While Yoon emphasized Yu’s professionalism and qualifications, there are also worries about the limited pool of talent within the Yoon administration. Opposition parties have criticized Yu’s past record, raising allegations of creating blacklists and pressuring personnel during his tenure as a minister. As a result, Yu Inchon’s nomination has become the focal point of political debate and controversy, with the presidential office asserting that it is unrelated to the policy direction of the Yoon administration.
